hunky

1 of 2

adjective

hunkier; hunkiest
: being a hunk : attractive and usually well-built
the film's hunky leading man

Hunky

2 of 2

noun

Hun·​ky ˈhəŋ-kē How to pronounce Hunky (audio)
variants or less commonly Hunkie
plural Hunkies
dated, usually disparaging + offensive
: a person of central or east European birth or descent

Examples of hunky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The advertisement is a cheeky twist on the new Netflix rom-com — which features a hunky snowman brought to life. Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 25 Nov. 2024 Thus begins her plan to save the business with the help of the hunky town carpenter and an amateur all-male holiday dance show. Leigh Nordstrom, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024 The late Patrick Swayze, PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive in 1991, played a hunky, lovelorn spirit in 1990's Ghost. John Russell, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024 Ron Ely, the hunky and handsome Texas native who portrayed the Lord of the Jungle on the first Tarzan series for television, has died, his daughter Kirsten told Fox News Digital. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hunky 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of Hungarian

First Known Use

Adjective

1972, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hunky was circa 1896

Dictionary Entries Near hunky

Cite this Entry

“Hunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunky. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on hunky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!